Lamp housing



P 1941- D. J. LA BOUNTY 2,254,808

LAMP HOUSING Filed Sept. 1,v 1939 Inventor Z e/flZ Zoe/nay Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAMP HOUSING Dale James La. Bounty, Peru, Ind. Application September 1, 1939, Serial No. 293,123

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to lamp housings for automobiles and for other purposes, and has for its primary object to provide a housing structure in which the circuit wire is inserted and provided with a terminal against which the base of the lamp 'is secured in abutting engagement to provide the circuit contact for the filament of the lamp and also to provide novel clamping means for the lamp to secure the same in contacting position.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and otherwise well adapted to the purposes for which the same is intended.

Further objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part thereof wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section view through the lamp housing.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view with the lens removed.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clamping member for the lamp.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have dis closed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates generally a concaveconvex back for the lamp housing having its marginal edges inclined inwardly as shown at 6 for accommodating the out-turned flange 1 of a dome-shaped lens 8 which is clamped in position to the back by means of a resilient wire clamping ring 9.

The back 5 is provided at its central portion with a conical recess l0 having an opening therein through which is inserted an elongated terminal member ll of conductive material having a bore extending therethrough through which the circuit wire I2 is inserted. The inner end of the terminal I l is provided with a conicalshaped head l3 conformably fitting in the recess Ill and separated therefrom by a rubber packing M. The inner end of the terminal wire I2 is upset as shown at 15 to provide a head fitted in the base of the conical head l3 to prevent removal of the wire therefrom. The outer end of the terminal II is provided with longitudinally spaced grooves l6 within which the edges of a star washer II are engaged to secure the terminal in position to the back of the housing.

As clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the base portion 18 of an electric lamp I9 is adapted to fit within the conical head l3 of the terminal and to engage the head l5 of the circuit wire to provide contact therewith. The lamp is retained in contacting position by means of a wire clip 20, the clip being substantially of U- form and having its bight portion rounded as shown at 2| to conformably fit around the base of the lamp, the leg portions of the clip being bent angularly rearwardly as shown at 22 and engaged in shallow recesses 23 formed in the back 5.

Tongues 24 are struck out, or otherwise secured to the innersurface of the back 5, the tongues being bent in a direction toward each other in spaced relation and under which the leg portions of the clip 20 are adapted to engage to secure the same against accidental displacement.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the lamp l9 may be easily and conveniently removed for replacement purposes by pressing the leg portions of the clip 20 together to release the same from the tongues 24 and thus remove the lamp.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having described the invention what I claim is:

1. A lamp housing including a back having an opening therein, a terminal member secured in said opening, a conical head on the inner end of said terminal adapted to conformably receive the base portion of an electric lamp, a lamp supporting member including a lamp clamping portion and spaced resilient free end portions, and fixed members carried by the back and engaged by said free end portions for releasably anchoring the supporting member in position.

2. A lamp housing comprising a back having a lens secured thereto, a terminal member insulated from the back and adapted to contact the base of a lamp positioned in the housing,-a resilient wire member of U-form embracing the lamp and means carried by the back releasably engageable by the end portions of the member to secure the lamp in contacting engagement with the terminal, said means including depressions in the surface of the back adapted for receiving the extremities of the member and spaced projections on the back adapted for engagement by the respective legs of the member.

3. A lamp housing comprising a back having extremities on said member adapted to seat in 10 said recesses.

4. A lamp housing including a back, a terminal member insulated from the back and adapted to contact the base of a lamp positioned in the housing, a resilient wire member of U-form embracing the lamp, and a pair of lugs struck inwardly from the back and having angular outer ends under which the legs of the member are releasably engageable for securing the lamp in contacting engagement with the terminal.

DALE JAMES LA BOUNTY. 

